Island



(No Model),

0. E. HOWLAND.

SHOE PROTECTOR.

No. 449,416. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

WIN/5535. JNMZ/NTDE.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()rrIcE.

CHARLES E. HOl/VLAND, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SHOE-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,416, dated March31, 1891. Application filed January 12, 1891. Serial No. 377,502. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. HOWLAND, of the city of Providence, inthe county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Protectors5 and I herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in shoe-protectors forprotecting the toe of the shoe from wear.

The object of the invention is to provide a shoe-protector which can bereadily secured to or removed from the shoe. To attain this end I haveinvented certain novel features of construction and combination ofparts, which will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed outin the claims.

Figure 1 is a side view of a shoe with the improved protector attached.Fig. 2 is a View of the sole of a shoe, showing the attaching andlocking device. Fig. 3 is a View of the movable ratchet-bar andratchet-cam, the

operating-lever being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is across-sectional view of the ratchet-bar and slide for the same formed bythe bentend of the sole-piece.

In sledding or coasting the toe portion of a shoe is rapidly worn out bythe friction on the ice or snow when steering the sled with the foot, asis the usual practice. To preserve the shoe from such wear, I haveinvented the herein-described shoe-protector, which is adapted to bereadily adjusted on the shoe or removed therefrom.

Similar numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawings, number 5 indicates a shoe, and G the sole of the same.

7 is a toepiece or pocket formed of sheet metal and having the fiatsurface 8, covering a portion of the sole of the shoe. This fiat portionis extended to form a tongue 9, which is bent over at its end to serveas a slide 10.

12, may be formed in one piece with the tongue 9, or may be securedthereto, and has the projections 11' bent up from the sides. The slidingclamping-arm 13 is also-provided with a bent end 14., and is looselyfitted in the slide-10, formed by the end of'the tongue 9, and has alongitudinal slot 15, one side of which is furnished with a ratchet-bar16. The ratchet-cam 17 is rigidly secured. to the pivot 18, which isjournaled in the upperand lower walls of the slide formed by the bentportion of the tongue 9, and is operated by the lever 19, fastened tothe outer end of the pivot.

The improved shoe-protector is operated by slipping the portion 7 overthe toe of the shoe, the sliding arm is pushed inward as far aspossible, and the lever 19 is pushed around into the position shown insolid lines in Fig. 2. As the arm 19 is turned, the ratchet-can1 17 isengaged with the ratchet-bar 16 and clamps the ends12 and 14 of the arms11 and 13 against the sides of the sole 6, where theyare securely heldby the engagement of the lever 19 with the locking device formed by theprojections 11 bent up from the arm 11.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In a shoe-protector, the combination, with thesheet-metal toe-piece 7, sole-piece 8, and tongue 9, of the stationaryarm 11, having the bent end 12, the ratcheted arm 13, having the bentend 14, and the ratchet-cam 17, adapted to operate the arm 13, asdescribed.

2. In a shoe-protector provided with a toepiece, the combination, withthe stationary arm 11, ratchet-arm 13, and ratchet-cam 17, of the lever19, adapted to operate the ratchetcam 17 and to be locked by theprojections 1 1, provided on the arm 11, as described.

CHARLES E. HOWLAND. Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, .112, M. F. BLIGH.

The clamping-arm 11, having the bent end

